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Flooring

Flooring Calculator

Work out how much flooring to buy. Enter your room dimensions and a waste allowance to get the finished square footage, the material area to purchase, and an estimated cost.

Updated June 2026 · Free · No sign-up

Your project

Room
Material

8–10% for straight lays, 15%+ for diagonal or busy patterns.

Pricing

Estimate

199ft²

Flooring to buy · Includes waste allowance

Finished area
180ft²
Estimated material cost
$891.00

Estimates are guidance only and exclude tax, labor, and site conditions unless stated. Confirm with a local pro.

How it's calculated

No black boxes — here is the exact math behind your estimate, so you can check it or adapt it for your own quote.

  1. 1Finished area = length × width
  2. 2Flooring to buy = finished area × (1 + waste% ÷ 100)
  3. 3Cost = flooring to buy × price per ft²

Worked example

A 15 ft × 12 ft room with a 10% waste allowance.

Inputs

Room length
15 ft
Room width
12 ft
Waste allowance
10 %
Price per ft²
4.5 $/ft²

Result

Flooring to buy
199 ft²
Finished area
180 ft²
Estimated material cost
$891.00
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Flooring cost by state

Material and labor prices vary by region. See a localized estimate for flooring:

Frequently asked questions

How much extra flooring should I buy for waste?
Plan on 8–10% extra for standard straight installations. Diagonal layouts, herringbone, and rooms with many cuts can need 15–20%. Keeping spare planks for future repairs is wise.
Does this work for laminate, vinyl, and hardwood?
Yes — the area math is the same for any sheet or plank flooring. Just enter the price per square foot for the product you have chosen.
Should I buy by the box?
Flooring is sold in boxes that cover a set area. Take the "flooring to buy" figure and divide by the box coverage, then round up to whole boxes.